[2013] Scrafty (QC Approved: 0/3)

[Tobes]

Free to a good writer

[Overview]

• Good alternative to Hitmontop
• Handles Latios, Cresselia, etc. much better, but at the cost of being vulnerable to Hitmontop itself, Terrakion, etc. Some of this is mitigated by Intimidate
• Much more shallow movepool than Hitmontop

[SET]
name: Bulky Fake Out
move 1: Fake Out
move 2: Drain Punch
move 3: Crunch
move 4: Detect
item: Chople Berry
ability: Intimidate
nature: Sassy / Careful
evs: 252 HP / 188 Atk / 68 SpD

[SET COMMENTS]

• Usually going to be supporting Trick Room teams but is usable outside of them
• Fake Out to incapacitate an opponent that might be able to prevent Scrafty's partner from using Trick Room
• Drain Punch does good damage and gives back HP
• Crunch is a big draw of this set; deals a lot of damage to Latios, Cresselia, etc., Pokemon Hitmontop tends to struggle with
• Detect because Imprison
• Chople Berry to take Close Combats as long as they're not too strong, and Low Kicks

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

• Ice Punch
• Taunt
• Low Kick? Payback?
• Super Fang
• Lum Berry; Persim an option if you have Swagger teammates
• Expert Belt
• 52 HP / 116 Atk / 132 Def / 4 SpD / (4 Spe) Always lives -1 Hitmontop Fighting Gem Close Combat without Chople Berry
• Cresselia
• Amoonguss
• Jellicent, Chandelure
• Salamence

[Other Options]

• Choice Band, Moxie
• Head Smash, HJK (Feint supported)
• Shed Skin
• Zen Headbutt
• Counter
• Knock Off
• Rain Dance

[Checks and Counters]

• Defiant Tornadus
• Hitmontop
• Salamence and Landorus-T unless Ice Punch
• Gyarados
• Heracross
• Crobat
• Strong special attacks: Rain-boosted Hydro Pumps, etc
• Faster Fake Out users can ensure a partnered Trick Room setter gets disrupted

 

[BlakDragon]

What are your thoughts on mentioning a 3rd EV spread? I read Darkmalice's extensive post on optimal Scrafty spreads in the Doubles thread & I'm basing this on that.

252 HP / 116 Atk / 132 Def / 4 SpD / 4 Spe
Impish or Relaxed nature

The defense investment & nature let you survive an intimidated hitmontop's close combat powered by fight gem, without the chople berry.
The tiny SpD investment lets you live timid latios's draco meteor powered by the gem.
16 more Atk EVs allowed than the first EV spread you have listed.
Speed really doesn't do anything outside outpace uninvested Scrafty, but the 4 EVs here will go to waste otherwise.

 

[tofucocoa]

idk about investing too much in defense because of intimidate. if you want to live close combats, you use chople.

the name of the set should be just 'Bulky Fake Out' since scrafty can be used outside of trick room. just mention -speed natures and trick room in the set description.

what does the 156 in spd live exactly? you only need 12 spd and a +spd nature to live timid dgem dmeteors (68 to live dmeteor+sandstorm), so really you should be focusing on more attack since that'll be make scrafty more annoying with drain punch recovery.

 

[Darkmalice]

EVing yourself to survive -1 Top CC is worth a mention when not running Chople Berry. I found this helpful when I used Expert Belt and Ice Punch with Scrafty over Detect (as Ice attacks are really good in this metagame, and the Expert Belt means my Scrafty hits harder than normal even with less Atk EVs).

Feint support could also be mentioned in OO when discussing HJK; I would never consider HJK without it. Could also OO Dragon Tail for TR.

Also Crobat in Counters. Even though it's rare, it's one of the best Scrafty Counters thanks to Inner Focus + Acrobactics.