Beedrill (Update)

Aeron Ee1

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STAMPS

Approvals: 2/2:

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(Bluewind)
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(Folgorio)

GP: 2/2:

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(Fatecrashers)
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(Snorlaxe)

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Changes from current:
  • Conformed to current layout
  • Sent all sets but Choice and Swords Dance to OC (reasons are there)

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

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[Overview]

<p>Beedrill is a bad Pokemon, but he has decent Attack and Speed, with enough of a movepool to use them; access to reliable STAB options, Endeavor, Toxic Spikes, Baton Pass, Swords Dance, and Agility, as well as key 4x resistances; all of which play their part in making Beedrill that much less useless. However, all of Beedrill's other stats are lackluster, and outside the aforementioned options, he does not have much more. A weakness to Stealth Rock doesn't help either. Still, Beedrill is better than most of his oft-forgotten Bug-type brothers, and though he is grossly outclassed, he is definitely a viable Pokemon in his own right.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Baton Pass / Poison Jab / Substitute
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Beedrill gets access to Swords Dance, and with his only usable stats being Attack and Speed, it is only natural to have a set based around it. It's not hard to believe that this is Beedrill's best bet at sweeping, and though getting the chance to set up might be a little hard, once you do, Beedrill may just surprise you.</p>

<p>X-Scissor is a nice, reliable STAB for general usage, and it is quite powerful if you manage to get Beedrill into Swarm range. Brick Break offers the best coverage with X-Scissor and hits pesky Steel-types for super effective damage. In the final slot, we have Baton Pass, Poison Jab, and Substitute. Baton Pass is the main slash because it allows Beedrill to take his boosts and pass them to an ally (as opposed to wasting them), as well as scout switch-ins in the early-game. Poison Jab is a nice auxiliary STAB move though, hitting Flying-types hard, and having a nifty chance to poison some of the bulky Pokemon that Beedrill lures in. Finally, Substitute is useful for blocking status and easing prediction when you find yourself facing a Pokemon slower than Beedrill.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs are cookie-cutter for a sweeper, with maximum Attack and Speed to emphasize Beedrill's only worthwhile stats. An Adamant nature is recommended because the added power is often more useful than the extra Speed a Jolly nature provides. Still, Jolly is a viable option if you require Beedrill to outspeed neutral-natured base 80s, most notably Blaziken.</p>

<p>Substitute can be used in conjuction with Salac Berry for some added Speed (be sure to put those last 4 EVs into HP if you do so, so as to activate the Salac Berry in just 3 Substitutes). Beedrill outspeeds everything up to positive-natured base 120s after the boost, which is more than enough to theoretically pull off a successfull sweep. However, Beedrill's horrific physical defense makes him extremely susceptible to priority, and his typing leaves him vulnerable to damaging weather, which makes this option fail more often than not.</p>

<p>Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin. These are Beedrill's favorite team options; especially when he's trying to sweep. Donphan and Claydol are great teammates to provide Rapid Spin as well as Stealth Rock, and they also resist any Rock-type attacks aimed at Beedrill. In return, Beedrill easily switches into Grass-type attacks. Any Pokemon that appreciates Attack boosts will also be good, and your options are going to be quite broad since every physical attacker does. Rhyperior and Azumarill are possibly the best receivers thanks to their high Attack stat and they cover Beedrill's weaknesses quite well. If Beedrill happens to scout out a potential threat with Baton Pass early, you're also going to want a Pokemon that can scare out or trap said threat. For example, if a Steel-type comes in, a Magneton or Dugtrio waiting in the wings is going to be able to prevent them from ever ruining Beedrill's fun.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: U-turn
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Poison Jab / Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Beedrill can be an effective Choice Scarf user thanks to his decent Attack and Speed. U-turn is what really makes this set worthwhile, so it should be capitalized on, especially if you can get one off on the many Steel- or Fire-types Beedrill lures in, bring in a trapper like Dugtrio, and nab a free KO. X-Scissor is Beedril's most reliable STAB move, and it can even be used to sweep late-game if Swarm is activated. Brick Break provides nice coverage with X-Scissor, 2HKOing such switch-ins as Aggron and Kabutops. Finally, while Poison Jab is a good secondary STAB move to hit Flying-types; Pursuit is just swell for trapping weakened Pokemon, especially the likes of Rotom and Mismagius, sealing their fate.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Maximum Speed with an Adamant nature allows Beedrill to outspeed everything up to positive-natured base 120s, which is where his prime targets are: Sceptile and Alakazam. Attack is also maximized for added power, and the rest go into Special Defense, as Beedrill really shouldn't be investing at all in his terrible Defense. A Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Swellow, but Beedrill is incapable of OHKOing it with any of its moves, and Swellow has Quick Attack to negate this advantage anyway.</p>

<p>For any Beedrill set, Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin support is obligatory. But Choice Scarf Beedrill, being the one that will switch in and out the most, almost requires the latter, as having only a maximum of 5 switch-ins as a scout and revenge killer is... pretty bad. Choice Scarf Beedrill also likes stuff that can come in on the bulky Pokemon it will lure in on the U-turn. Fire-types such as Arcanine fear nothing from Weezing, and Pursuit users such as Houndoom can trap and eliminate Ghost-types from the match. A Pokemon that can set up on Pursuit is also useful, as the ever frail Beedrill doesn't like the move one bit.</p>

[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Agility / Swords Dance
move 3: Substitute
move 4: X-Scissor
item: Liechi Berry / Salac Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 244 HP / 12 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set drops the idea of sweeping completely, and instead aims to support a teammate with the boosts that Beedrill can provide. Agility and Swords Dance are both very useful boosting moves, and the appropriate pinch Berry should be used to make up for the stat that is not being boosted. Substitute eases the Berry activation, and is also useful for blocking status and passing in its own right. Finally, X-Scissor is the obligatory STAB move, ensuring that Beedrill is not complete Taunt bait; without any investment though, it's going to hit like the soft end of a feather duster, so don't expect it to KO anything healthy anytime soon.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs maximize the number of potential targets Beedrill can set up on, and give a HP number divisible by 4, activating the pinch Berry after 3 Substitutes (or 2 Substitutes and Stealth Rock). The rest go into Special Defense to ease the damage taken from less powerful special attacks. Even with the investment though, Beedrill won't be taking any powerful attacks anytime soon, especially physical ones, so don't expect him to. It is not advised to have both Swords Dance and Agility on the same moveset, as with Beedrill's defenses, he won't get the chance to obtain more than one boost in a typical match.</p>

<p>Rhyperior is an ideal teammate to pass to, as it can easily capitalize on either and any of the boosts Beedrill can provide. It's also awesome that Beedrill and it happen to cover each other's weaknesses almost perfectly. As with other pure Baton Passers, you should keep in mind that Beedrill is more of an accessory to your team, moreso than an actual teammate. Therefore, your team should be able to function even without Beedrill's presence, and having Beedrill on the team only helps the team by providing the tools to sweep late-game.</p>

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Protect
move 4: X-Scissor / U-turn
item: Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While Beedrill may seem outclassed in the role of a Toxic Spikes lead by Venomoth, who has access to Sleep Powder, Tinted Lens, and higher stats in everything that is relevant, Beedrill has one trick up his sleeve, Endeavor, an extremely useful and unique move to Beedrill when used in the lead slot. The idea is quite simple. Against slower leads, set up a layers Toxic Spikes until Beedrill gets knocked down to low HP, and then depending on the situation, either set up another layer and get KOed, or Endeavor to bring the opposing Pokemon down to 1 HP. Beedrill's options are limited to just the latter strategy against faster leads. Protect is the option for the third slot so Ambipom and Hariyama don't ruin this strategy with Fake Out, while X-Scissor and U-turn are the predictable STAB options that every Pokemon should have.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread maximizes Beedrill's two strongest points, and everything else, including the IVs, go into making Endeavor as effective as possible. Obviously, Pokemon that benefit from Toxic Spikes being on the field make the best teammates to this set. Stall teams, SubRoosters, and Pokemon that use Wish + Protect for recovery can all easily abuse the steady damage of Toxic Spikes to great effect. Don't forget spinblockers, such as Spiritomb, either; you never want all of Beedrill's hardwork to just disappear.</p>

<p>In terms of leading, Beedrill actually fairs quite well with most leads thanks to Focus Sash and Endeavor. However, Qwilfish, in particular, can utilize Taunt to prevent Beedrill from executing his strategy and then freely set up its own payload afterwards. To counteract it, a good Rapid Spin user (let's say Blastoise) to remove entry hazards it might set up, and a strong team core to protect against rain are necessary.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin support are great for Beedrill, being an offensive Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock. Donphan can provide both, and it resists Rock, while Beedrill can come in on Grass-type moves thanks to his 4x resistance. Kabutops can do the same, but it resists Fire instead of Rock. U-turn partners are useful, and Moltres is a good example of one (but with both Beedrill and Moltres on the same team, an extremely reliable Rapid Spinner is just about necessary). Ambipom is another great choice, as it can easily provide offensive momentum with its powerful Fake Out and U-turn. Baton Pass receivers who like Attack and Speed boosts are also good to have if Beedrill carries it; Rhyperior is a good example, as he can come in on Fire-type attacks aimed at Beedrill. Milotic and Slowbro are always good Pokemon to fall back on in UU, and both, like many of the other recommended teammates, resist Fire. The latter is also able to provide paralysis support with Thunder Wave, another thing that Beedrill appreciates. Finally, Pokemon that can reliably remove Steel-types from a match are just great, the best being Dugtrio and Magneton.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>A Choice Band set would seem obligatory with Beedrill's stat distribution, but the boost in power really does not net many additional KOs compared to the Scarf set, making it an almost completely inferior option. Aerial Ace is a fine choice for hitting other Bug-types, but they are few and far between in the UU tier. Bug Bite can be pretty funny if you manage to steal the opponent's Berry and ruin their game plan, but it is gimmicky and unreliable. Payback and Assurance are essentially the same exact move, and they can be used to nail predicted Ghost-type switch-ins. Finally, Toxic cripples bulky Water-types that might switch into Beedrill.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Poison-types, especially Weezing with its high physical defense and access to Flamethrower, are the best counters to Beedrill; resisting both his STABs, without being weak to any auxiliary attack he may possibly carry. Grounded ones can also absorb any Toxic Spikes Beedrill might set up just by switching in. Steel-types also resist both STABs, and usually have the bulk to take even Swords Dance-boosted Brick Breaks. Flying-types resist Bug, and can threaten with a super effective STAB attack; they just have to be a bit wary about poison from Poison Jab or Toxic. Ghost-types only have to fear Payback and Assurance, and can threaten in return with Will-O-Wisp.</p>

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Post-critique changes (a la bmb)
  • Added Baton Pass slashes on SD set - SilentVerse
  • Added Toxic Spikes Lead set - shrang
  • Extra bits on info on sets - Flashrider57
  • Added pure BP set - Bluewind
  • GP Check 1 - Fatecrashers
  • GP Check 2 - Snorlaxe
  • Individual set team options - Oglemi
 
Despite having terrible stats and a horrendous typing, I really like Beedrill, and I tested some stuff with it, so I might as well comment on some things:

-I think Baton Pass definitely deserves a slash on the Swords Dance set, probably over or with Poison Jab imo. Beedrill is fairly mediocre by himself as a sweeper, so Baton Passing a Swords Dance boost really gives him something else that's useful to contribute to the team. Baton Pass can also scout for counters, so you don't have to Swords Dance up and get forced out promptly. I would personally just slash Poison Jab with X-Scissor, since Poison is resisted by a lot of similar things to Bug, so dual-STABs aren't really necessary. I suppose Poison does hit a couple of things that resist Bug neutrally though, and that might make it still worthy of a separate slash.
-Maybe Jolly deserves a slash as well? The added speed could be quite useful, and if you do follow my suggestion of slashing Baton Pass, it's probably necessary to outspeed some threats such as Blaziken.
-In a similar vein, could an Agility set with Baton Pass be feasible? Yeah, Beedrill's extremely weak, but I think he could possibly use Agility and Baton Pass with decent success. If you use Agility as they switch in their counter, you should almost certainly be faster than them, allowing you to Baton Pass your boost to a teammate. Late-game, Beedrill could also do some damage when most of the opposing team is heavily weakened. This is mostly theory though.
 
OK, few things.

Swords Dancer

- I think Baton Pass deserves a slash next to Brick Break on the SD set, as Beedrill can't break Steelix, Rhyperior, and Registeel with it anyway, and passing the SD to your own Rhyperior is just awesome.

For the Choice set, I have a couple of things.

- First, just name it "Choice Scarf". Sets with the name of just "Choice" usually indicates that it includes both Choice Scarf and Choice Band/Specs.

- I would suggest replacing X-Scissor with U-turn, or slashing U-turn next to it. U-turn is too fucking useful on something like Beedrill, and it's not like Beedrill will ever by breaking his usual counters with a slightly stronger STAB move. Then for the last slot, I would either just make it Pursuit, or keep it as is.

As for a pure Baton Pass set

- This is just theorymonning, but to me, it doesn't seem like Beedrill has the Speed nor the bulk to pull off a pure Baton Pass set. If you make a Baton Pass set, try it in the lead position. It'll look similar to my Ledian set.

[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Agility
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: U-turn / Endure / Endeavor
move 4: Baton Pass
item: Salac Berry / Liechi Berry / Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

- The only let down with this set is the lack of Encore that Ledian has, which makes it a lesser Baton Passer imo. Endeavor is quirky and could work in the lead position, so its inclusion in the set is debatable.

- This set is pretty gimmicky though.

For the OC section just make a mention of Toxic Spikes. It's rare when Pokemon have access to them, but just make a mention that Venomoth is the superior user of them.

Edit: damn ninja'd by SilentVerse on some things... :(
 
Beedrill is such a sad excuse for a Pokemon. I've played around with this set though:

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: X-Scissor / U-Turn
move 3: Endeavor
move 4: Protect / Payback
item: Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD (Optional)

Yeah, yeah, I know Toxic Spikes is questionable in UU, but seriously, this set is possibly the only thing Beedrill can do and nothing else can. If Venomoth gets a Toxic Spikes set, I don't know why Beedrill can't.

-Toxic Spikes, but completely outclassed by Venomoth, who has Sleep Powder

No. Venomoth doesn't have Endeavor, so this is quite different. Basically, it's quite simple. Against slower leads, set up Toxic Spikes and get knocked down to low HP, then either set up another layer and die or Endeavor whatever the hell you feel like drilling (pun intended). Protect is there so Ambipom/Hariyama doesn't ruin you, otherwise you can run Payback to predict a Ghost-type switch-in.
 
The only problem I have with a lead set like that shrang is that, yeah Beedrill can Endeavor faster leads, but then what? Beedrill has no priority to back it up, nor the Speed to. Yeah sure, Moltres, Arcanine, Pinsir, Scyther, Alakazam, blah, blah, are at 1 HP, but you're dead the next turn. And, you didn't set up Toxic Spikes or Stealth Rock, so you still have to switch something into them, and they're free to come in again as death fodder or what have you unless you get Entry Hazards up.

If Beedrill got priority, I'd be all up on that, but he doesn't, so the set becomes more questionable. Beedrill also has no protection from Sleep Leads with that set, and about the only leads where Beedrill gets T-Spikes up is against Spiritomb (who can Taunt you and you can't Endeavor), Registeel, Steelix, Snover (you can't Endeavor because of Hail), Hippopotas (not worth Endeavoring against, can set up Stealth Rock, sets up Sandstorm, and can Yawn/Roar Beedrill out), and maybe Mismagius (can't Endeavor).
 
I'm sort of pouring in all suggestions, as in the end, it's all up to QC anyway, so we'll just have to wait and see what they have to say..
 
The only problem I have with a lead set like that shrang is that, yeah Beedrill can Endeavor faster leads, but then what? Beedrill has no priority to back it up, nor the Speed to. Yeah sure, Moltres, Arcanine, Pinsir, Scyther, Alakazam, blah, blah, are at 1 HP, but you're dead the next turn. And, you didn't set up Toxic Spikes or Stealth Rock, so you still have to switch something into them, and they're free to come in again as death fodder or what have you unless you get Entry Hazards up.

If Beedrill got priority, I'd be all up on that, but he doesn't, so the set becomes more questionable. Beedrill also has no protection from Sleep Leads with that set, and about the only leads where Beedrill gets T-Spikes up is against Spiritomb (who can Taunt you and you can't Endeavor), Registeel, Steelix, Snover (you can't Endeavor because of Hail), Hippopotas (not worth Endeavoring against, can set up Stealth Rock, sets up Sandstorm, and can Yawn/Roar Beedrill out), and maybe Mismagius (can't Endeavor).

It's a bit poorer against faster leads, but against slower leads, you can get up a layer and leave the opponent at 1 HP.
 
I would argue that a SubSalac set with Swords Dance should be used over the present Swords Dance set. Substitute gives Beedrill a little time to set up, while also protecting it from status, which would otherwise severely cripple it. Additionally, the boosts from Swords Dance and Salac Berry can quickly turn Beedrill into a fearsome sweeper. Plus, Baton Pass will allow Beedrill to set up another Pokemon for a sweep (with even the slight chance of passing a Substitute). Basically, here's the set I have in mind:

name: Sting like a Beedrill (Couldn't think of a good name...)
move 1: Substitute
move 2: Swords Dance
move 3: X-Scissor
move 4: Brick Break / Poison Jab / Baton Pass
item: Salac Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

This is only my opinion, though, and it's up to you to decide. Other than that, good job!

@Shrang: Since I was the one who updated Venomoth, I have something to say: Sleep Powder isn't Venomoth's only advantage over Beedrill. Venomoth also has Tinted Lens to make its Bug Buzz/Psychic combo unresisted in UU (except Shedinja, but it'll die to Poison damage from T-Spikes), which also means that Poison-types such as Drapion, Venusaur, and Toxicroak are much less likely to switch into Venomoth's Toxic Spikes, lest they get slammed by Psychic (or in Drapion's case, Bug Buzz). Additionally, Venomoth has higher Speed, HP, Defense, and optimal attacking (Venomoth's base 90 Special Attack vs. Beedrill's base 80 Attack) stats, making it the better choice for Toxic Spikes. Still, I agree that Beedrill deserves a T-Spikes Lead set, especially with Endeavor, but "Venomoth has one, so why can't Beedrill?" isn't a good argument to make.
 
Ok... Beedrill... you guys are pushing it =/

Well anyways, the SD set looks a bit... messy. Even though pinch berries are mentioned, LO was made the main item and it just seems odd to give readers the impression Sub+LO should be used, especially on a weak-as-fuck Pokemon as Beedrill. I think this could be the main set:

name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Baton Pass / Poison Jab / Substitute
item: Life Orb / Salac Berry
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

So Beedrill sucks, simply put, hence why I put Baton Pass over Poison Jab, and the latter doesn't really add a lot when it comes to neutral coverage (if you think the contrary, feel free to weigh in). I slashed Substitute because pinch berries really aren't amazing in UU if you're trying to sweep, as priority is everywhere and purposely lowering your HP mostly isn't the way to go, unless you're some fearsome sweeper that can OHKO everything in sight (sounds more like Heracross than Beedrill; and when even monsters like Blaziken don't work with this kind of set, it's a bit naive to say Beedrill will). Adamant is the only nature because if you use Jolly you don't really beat anything worthwhile and when using the berries you'll reach 373 Speed, which is enough for base 120, and Swellow will kill you with Quick Attack anyways. Finally, I moved Liechi to AC because you really ain't sweeping much with with 249 Speed. Don't forget to mention the 4 EVs in SpD should be moved to HP when using Salac.

Lead set looks fine, I just wish there was something better to use over Payback but there really isn't...

On the Choice set, change the places of U-turn and X-Scissor. U-turn really is what makes this thing remotely dangerous, so it should be capitalized, especially when you can hit Registeel, bring Dugtrio, EQ it, ???, profit. I'd also leave Jolly to AC; you only get to outspeed Swellow, loses power and it has Quick Attack to hit you on your base 45 Defenses anyways.

I'm still not sure about the moveset and spread for the pure Baton Pass set, so I'd like to test that a bit more. For now I'll leave this here so that people can discuss.
 
Ok, bumping this because of the Baton Pass set. I thought of something like this:

name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Agility / Swords Dance
move 3: Substitute
move 4: X-Scissor
item: Liechi Berry / Salac Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 244 HP / 12 SpD / 252 Spe

Agility goes with Liechi, Salac goes with SD. Those EVs give you an HP number divisible by 4 (332), allowing you to activate the berry after 3 Subs / 2 Subs and a SR damage. Agility and SD go together because you really won't have time to setup both when using something like a Beedrill...

If there are no objections to the new set:

stamp3z.png
 
Before I put this on the queue, as I recall, only viable and/or the best set for a clearly terrible Pokemon go on-site. If all of these sets are completely viable (viable meaning that if I used this on a team it would be successful at its job) and UU QC can confirm this, I will accept that and add it to the queue. That said, at a glance, I feel like many of these sets are only there because it can run it, not because it is successful running it. It's entirely possible I'm wrong, though.
 
This QC stuff is so subjective =\ I've tested the Choice, SD, and BP sets, they're fine, methinks. But the Lead set I'm a bit doubtful... Anyways, mini-bump, QC opinions pl0x?
 
My approval still stands for all of them. No matter how doubtful Toxic Spikes are in UU, I see nothing wrong with having sets focused on setting it up on Pokemon like Beedrill, especially when they can work against a considerable amount of leads.
 
gonna look at some words
gonna put a stamp on it

GP CHECK 1/2

no
yes

[OVERVIEW]

<p>Beedrill is a bad Pokemon, but he has decent Attack and Speed, with enough of a movepool to use them; access to reliable STAB options, Endeavor, Toxic Spikes, Baton Pass, Swords Dance, and Agility, as well as key 4x resistances; all play of which plays their part in making Beedrill that much less useless. However, all his other stats are lackluster, and outside of those options, he does not have much more. He is also weak to Stealth Rock. The fatal weakness to Stealth Rock doesn't help either. Still, Beedrill is better than most of his other oft-forgotten Bug-type brothers, and though he is grossly outclassed by the actually useful ones, he is definitely a viable Pokemon in his own right.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Baton Pass / Poison Jab
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Beedrill gets access to Swords Dance, and with his only usable stats being Attack and Speed, the primary stats of a physical sweeper, it is only natural to have a set based around it. It's also not very hard to believe that this is Beedrill's best bet at sweeping, and though getting the chance to set up might be a little hard, once you do, Beedrill may just surprise you.</p>

<p>X-Scissor is a nice, reliable STAB for general usage, and it is quite powerful if you manage to get Beedrill into Swarm range. Brick Break offers the best coverage with X-Scissor, and in the final slot, we have Baton Pass, Poison Jab, and Substitute. Baton Pass is the main slash, allowing Beedrill to take his boosts and pass them to an ally should he find himself walled, instead of wasting them by simply switching out. Poison Jab is a nice auxiliary STAB move though, and it hits Flying-types hard, and has a nifty chance to poison some of the bulky Pokemon that Beedrill lures in. Finally, Substitute is useful for blocking status and easing prediction when you come up against something slower than Beedrill.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs are cookie-cutter for a sweeper, with maximum Attack and Speed to emphasize Beedrill's only worthwhile stats. An Adamant nature is recommended because the added power is often more useful than the Speed a Jolly nature brings. Still, Jolly is a viable option it's there if you require Beedrill to outspeed neutral-natured base 80s, most notably Blaziken.</p>

<p>Substitute can be used in conjuction with Salac Berry for some added Speed (be sure to put those last 4 EVs into HP if you do so, so as to activate the Salac Berry in just 3 Substitutes). Beedrill outspeeds everything up to positive-natured base 120s after the boost, which is more than enough to pull off a successfull sweep in theory. However, Beedrill's trash physical defenses make him extremely susceptible to easy pick-off by priority, and his typing so for is vulnerable to damaging weather, which makes this option fail more often than not.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: U-Turn
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Poison Jab / Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Beedrill can be an effective Choice Scarf user thanks to his decent Attack and Speed. U-Turn is what really makes this set remotely dangerous, so it should be capitalized on, especially if you can get fire one off on the many Steel-types that Beedrill lures in, bring in a trapper like Dugtrio, and KO them for a profit. X-Scissor is the same reliable STAB move that should be found on any Choice set, and it can even be used to sweep late-game if Swarm is activated. Brick Break provides nice coverage with X-Scissor, 2HKOing such switch-ins as Aggron and Kabutops. Finally, while Poison Jab is a good secondary STAB move to hit Flying-types that resist X-Scissor harder than Brick Break, Pursuit is just swell for trapping weakened Pokemon, sealing their fate.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Maximum Speed with an Adamant nature outspeeds everything up to positive-natured base 120s, which is where your prime targets are: Sceptile and Alakazam. Attack is also maximized for added power, and the rest go into Special Defense, as Beedrill really shouldn't be investing at all in his terrible Defense. A Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Swellow, but Beedrill does not OHKO it with anything, and it has Quick Attack to negate Beedrill's Speed deal with Beedrill anyway.</p>

[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Agility / Swords Dance
move 3: Substitute
move 4: X-Scissor
item: Liechi Berry / Salac Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 244 HP / 12 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set drops the idea of sweeping completely, going in purely to support a teammate with the boosts that Beedrill can provide. Agility and Swords Dance are both very useful boosting moves, and the appropriate pinch Berry should be used to make up for the stat that is not being boosted. Substitute eases the Berry activation, and is also useful for blocking status and passing in its own right. Finally, X-Scissor is the obligatory STAB move, so that Beedrill is not complete Taunt bait; without any investment though, it's going to hit like the soft end of a feather duster, so don't expect it to KO anything healthy anytime soon.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs maximize the number of potential targets Beedrill can set up on, and give an HP number divisible by 4, activating the pinch Berry after 3 Substitutes, or 2 Substitutes and Stealth Rock. The rest go into Special Defense to ease the damage taken from lesser special attacks. Even with the investment though, Beedrill won't be taking any powerful attacks anytime soon, especially physical ones, so don't expect him to. It is not advised to have both Swords Dance and Agility on the same moveset, as with Beedrill's defenses, he won't be able to get the chance to set up more than one in a typical match.</p>

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Protect
move 4: X-Scissor / U-Turn
item: Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD (Optional)

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While Beedrill may seem outclassed in this role by Venomoth, who has access to Sleep Powder, Tinted Lens, and higher stats in everything that is relevant, Beedrill has Endeavor, which is a pretty useful move indeed. The idea is quite simple. Against slower leads in general, set up Toxic Spikes until you get knocked down to low HP, and then either set up another layer and die, or Endeavor to bring the opponent down to 1 HP. Beedrill's options are limited to just the latter against faster leads. Protect is there so Ambipom/Hariyama don't ruin it with Fake Out, while X-Scissor and U-Turn are the blah predictable STAB options that every Pokemon should have.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread maximizes Beedrill's two strongest points, and everything else go into making Endeavor as effective as possible in some way. Obviously, Pokemon that benefit from Toxic Spikes being on the field make good teammates to this set. Stall teams, SubRoosters, and Pokemon that use Wish + Protect for recovery can all easily abuse the steady damage of Toxic Spikes to great effect.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin support are just great for Beedrill, being an offensive Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock. Donphan can provide both, and it resists Rock, while Beedrill can come in on Grass-type moves with his 4x resistance. Kabutops can do the same, but it resists Fire instead of Rock. U-Turn partners are useful, and Moltres is a good example of one (just make sure your Rapid Spinner is super reliable). So is Ambipom, who can easily provide offensive momentum with its powerful Fake Out and U-Turn. Baton Pass receivers that like Attack and Speed boosts are also good to have if Beedrill carries it; Rhyperior being a good example, that as he can easily come in on Fire-type attacks aimed at Beedrill with ease. Milotic and Slowbro are always good Pokemon to fall back on in UU, and both, like many of the other recommended teammates, resist Fire. The latter is also able to provide paralysis support with Thunder Wave, another thing that Beedrill appreciates. Finally, Pokemon that can reliably remove Steel-types, the best being Dugtrio and Magneton, from a match are just great, the best being Dugtrio and Magneton.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>A Choice Band set would seem obligatory with Beedrill's stat distribution, but the boost in power really does not net many additional KOs in comparison to the Scarf set would not, so you might as well be faster. Aerial Ace is fine for hitting other Bug-types. Bug Bite is pretty funny if you manage to steal the opponent's Berry and ruin their game plan, but it is gimmicky and unreliable to say the least. Payback and Assurance are essentially the same exact move, and they can be used to predict Ghost-type switch-ins. Toxic cripples bulky Water-types that might switch into Beedrill.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Poison-types, especially Weezing with its high physical defense and access to Flamethrower, are the best counters to Beedrill; resisting both its STABs, without being weak to any auxiliary attack he may possibly carry. Grounded ones can also absorb any Toxic Spikes Beedrill might set up just by switching in. Steel-types also resist both STABs, and usually have the bulk to take even Swords Danced Brick Breaks. Flying-types resist Bug, and can threaten with a super effective STAB attack; they just have to be a bit wary about poison from Poison Jab or Toxic. Ghost-types only have to fear Payback and Assurance, and can threaten in return with Will-O-Wisp.</p>

excellent stuff, hardly any changes needed, just watch for the capitalization of 'U-Turn' and 'Berry'

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GP CHECK 2/2

blue is additions
red is removals

[OVERVIEW]

<p>Beedrill is a bad Pokemon, but he has decent Attack and Speed, with enough of a movepool to use them; access to reliable STAB options, Endeavor, Toxic Spikes, Baton Pass, Swords Dance, and Agility, as well as key 4x resistances; all of which play their part in making Beedrill that much less useless. However, all his of Beedrill's other stats are lackluster, and outside of those the aforementioned options, he does not have much more much going for him. A weakness to Stealth Rock doesn't help either. Still, Beedrill is better than most of his other oft-forgotten Bug-type brothers, and though he is grossly outclassed, he is definitely a viable Pokemon in his own right.</p>

[SET]
name: Swords Dance
move 1: Swords Dance
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Baton Pass / Poison Jab / Substitute
item: Life Orb
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Beedrill gets access to Swords Dance, and with his only usable stats being Attack and Speed, the primary stats of a physical sweeper, it is only natural to have a set based around it. It's not hard to believe that this is This set is by far Beedrill's best bet at sweeping, and though getting the chance to set up might be a little hard,once you do, Beedrill may just surprise you after a boost.</p>

<p>X-Scissor is a nice, reliable STAB for general usage, and it reliable STAB move that is quite powerful if you manage to get Beedrill into Swarm range. Brick Break offers the best coverage with X-Scissor, and X-Scissor. in In the final slot, we have you have your choice of either Baton Pass, Poison Jab, and Substitute. Baton Pass is the main slash, allowing Beedrill to take his boosts and pass them to an ally (as opposed to wasting them) should he find himself walled, instead of wasting them by simply switching out. walled. Poison Jab is a nice auxiliary STAB move though, hitting Flying-types hard, and having a nifty chance to poison some of the bulky Pokemon that Beedrill lures in. Finally, Substitute is useful for blocking status and easing prediction when you come up against something find yourself facing a Pokemon slower than Beedrill.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs are cookie-cutter for a sweeper, with maximum Attack and Speed to emphasize Beedrill's only worthwhile stats. An Adamant nature is recommended because the added power is often more useful than the extra Speed a Jolly nature brings provides. Still, Jolly is still a viable option if you require Beedrill to outspeed neutral-natured base 80s, most notably Blaziken.</p>

<p>Substitute can be used in conjuction with Salac Berry for some added Speed (be sure to put those last 4 EVs into HP if you do so, so as to activate the Salac Berry in just 3 Substitutes). Beedrill outspeeds everything up to positive-natured base 120s after the boost, which is more than enough to theoretically pull off a successfull sweep in theory. However, Beedrill's trash horrific physical defenses defense makes him extremely susceptible to easy pick-off by priority, and his typing makes leaves him vulnerable to damaging weather, which makes this option fail more often than not.</p>

[SET]
name: Choice Scarf
move 1: U-Turn U-turn
move 2: X-Scissor
move 3: Brick Break
move 4: Poison Jab / Pursuit
item: Choice Scarf
nature: Adamant
evs: 252 Atk / 4 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>Beedrill can be an effective Choice Scarf user thanks to his decent Attack and Speed. U-Turn U-turn is what really makes this set remotely dangerous, so it should be capitalized on, especially if you can get one off on the many Steel-types Beedrill lures in, bring in a trapper like Dugtrio, and KO them for a profit nab a swift and free KO. X-Scissor is the same reliable STAB move that should be found on any Choice set Beedril's most reliable STAB move, and it can even be used to sweep late-game if Swarm is activated. Brick Break provides nice coverage with X-Scissor, 2HKOing such switch-ins as Aggron and Kabutops. Finally, while Poison Jab is a good secondary STAB move to hit Flying-types, Pursuit is just swell excellent for trapping weakened Pokemon, sealing their fate.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Maximum Speed with an Adamant nature allows Beedrill to outspeeds outspeed everything up to positive-natured base 120s, which is where your his prime targets are: Sceptile and Alakazam. Attack is also maximized for added power, and the rest go into Special Defense, as Beedrill really shouldn't be investing at all in his terrible Defense. A Jolly nature can be used to outspeed Swellow, but Beedrill does not OHKO it with anything is incapable of OHKOing it with any of its moves, and it has Quick Attack to negate this advantage, anyway.</p>

[SET]
name: Baton Pass
move 1: Baton Pass
move 2: Agility / Swords Dance
move 3: Substitute
move 4: X-Scissor
item: Liechi Berry / Salac Berry
nature: Jolly
evs: 244 HP / 12 SpD / 252 Spe

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>This set drops the idea of sweeping completely, going in purely to and instead aims to support a teammate with the boosts that Beedrill can provide. Agility and Swords Dance are both very useful boosting moves, and the appropriate pinch Berry should be used to make up for the stat that is not being boosted. Substitute eases the Berry activation, and is also useful for blocking status and passing in its own right. Finally, X-Scissor is the obligatory STAB move, so ensuring that Beedrill is not complete Taunt bait; without any investment though, it's going to hit like the soft end of a feather duster, so don't expect it to KO anything healthy enable Beedrill to KO opposing Pokemon anytime soon.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EVs maximize the number of potential targets Beedrill can set up on, and give a HP number divisible by 4, activating the pinch Berry after 3 Substitutes, Substitutes (or 2 Substitutes and Stealth Rock). The rest go into Special Defense to ease the damage taken from lesser less powerful special attacks. Even with the investment though, Beedrill won't be taking any powerful attacks anytime soon, especially physical ones, so don't expect him to. ones. It is not advised to have both Swords Dance and Agility on the same moveset, as with Beedrill's defenses, he won't get the chance to set up obtain more than one boost in a typical match.</p>

[SET]
name: Lead
move 1: Toxic Spikes
move 2: Endeavor
move 3: Protect
move 4: X-Scissor / U-Turn U-turn
item: Focus Sash
nature: Jolly
evs: 252 Atk / 252 Spe
ivs: 0 HP / 0 Def / 0 SpD (Optional)

[SET COMMENTS]

<p>While Beedrill may seem outclassed in this role by Venomoth, who has access to Sleep Powder, Tinted Lens, and higher stats in everything that is relevant, Beedrill has Endeavor, which is a pretty an extremely useful move indeed. The idea is quite simple. Against slower leads in general, set up Toxic Spikes until you Beedrill gets knocked down to low HP, and then either set up another layer and die get KOed, or Endeavor to bring the opponent opposing Pokemon down to 1 HP. Beedrill's options are limited to just the latter against faster leads. Protect is there so Ambipom and Hariyama don't ruin it Beedrill's strategy with Fake Out, while X-Scissor and U-Turn U-turn are the predictable STAB options that every Pokemon Beedrill should have.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>The EV spread maximizes Beedrill's two strongest points stats, and everything else goes into making Endeavor as effective as possible. Obviously, Pokemon that benefit from Toxic Spikes being on the field make good teammates to this set. Stall teams, SubRoosters, and Pokemon that use Wish + Protect for recovery can all easily abuse the steady damage of Toxic Spikes to great effect.</p>

[Team Options]

<p>Stealth Rock and Rapid Spin support are just great for Beedrill, being an offensive Pokemon weak to Stealth Rock. Donphan can provide both, and it resists Rock, while Beedrill can come in on Grass-type moves with thanks to his 4x resistance. Kabutops can do the same, but it resists Fire instead of Rock. U-Turn U-turn partners are useful, and useful; Moltres is a good example of one, but if you plan to use Moltres and Beedrill on the same team, make sure that you're packing an incredibly reliable Rapid Spinner (just make sure your Rapid Spinner is super reliable). So is Ambipom is another great choice choice, who can easily provide offensive momentum with its powerful Fake Out and U-Turn U-turn. Baton Pass receivers that who like Attack and Speed boosts are also good to have if Beedrill carries it; Rhyperior being is a good example, as he can come in on Fire-type attacks aimed at Beedrill. Milotic and Slowbro are always good Pokemon to fall back on in UU, and both, like many of the other recommended teammates, resist Fire. The latter is also able to provide paralysis support with Thunder Wave, another thing that Beedrill appreciates. Finally, Pokemon that can reliably remove Steel-types, types from a match are just great, the best being Dugtrio and Magneton.</p>

[Optional Changes]

<p>A Choice Band set would seem obligatory with Beedrill's stat distribution, but the boost in power really does not net many additional KOs compared to the Scarf set, so you might as well be faster with it making Choice Band a lackluster option. Aerial Ace is fine for hitting other Bug-types. Bug Bite is pretty funny if you manage to steal the opponent's Berry and ruin their game plan, but it is gimmicky and unreliable to say the least. Payback and Assurance are essentially the same exact move, and they can be used to predict Ghost-type switch-ins. Toxic cripples bulky Water-types that might switch into Beedrill.</p>

[Counters]

<p>Poison-types, especially Weezing with its high physical defense and access to Flamethrower, are the best counters to Beedrill; resisting both its STABs, without being weak to any auxiliary attack he may possibly carry. Grounded ones can also absorb any Toxic Spikes Beedrill might set up just by switching in. Steel-types also resist both STABs of Beedrill's STAB moves, and usually have the bulk to take even Swords Danced Dance-boosted Brick Breaks. Flying-types resist Bug, and can threaten with a super effective STAB attack; they just have to be a bit wary about poison from Poison Jab or Toxic. Ghost-types only have to fear Payback and Assurance, and can threaten in return with Will-O-Wisp.</p>

contrary to what fate said, the "t" in u-turn is NOT capitalized :P

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Ummmm, there's no team options for any of the first 3 sets, and the fourth set barely has any.

I added a paragraph to the Baton Pass set, but please add at least a paragraph to the first two sets. Do that and I'll upload this.

I don't care if they all end up sounding the same, but people need to know what are good teammates to each specific set.

You also seemed to kind of skip over what kind of Pokemon threaten each set, (Pursuit users, save for Absol, scare the shit out of the Choice Scarf set, etc.) And then add teammates who can counteract these threats.

I know Beedrill sucks, but come on, you can do better than that. The paragraphs don't have to be exponentially amazing, but they have to be there.
 
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