Alakazam (Focus Sash) [QC 1/3]

QC Checks: PK Gaming,



name:Revenge Killer
move 1: Psychic/Psyshock
move 2: Focus Blast
move 3: Shadow Ball
move 4: Hidden Power Ice/ Hidden Power Fire
item: Focus Sash
ability: Magic Guard
nature: Timid
evs: 4 Hp/252 Spa/252 Spe

[Why this set deserves to be on site]
-Alakazam is one of the best revenge killers in OU
-Focus Sash gives Alakazam a "second life"
-This set gives Alakazam perfect coverage
-Alakazam outspeeds all commonly seen pokes in OU
-higher special attack than all pokes in OU
-Magic Guard is incredibly useful, because it allows Alakazam to switch into hazards freely, while keeping Alakazam's Focus Sash intact.
-This set seems to be the most popular set
-This is likely Alakazam's most competitively viable set.

[Set comments]
-As opposed to the sets already on site, no set up is required.
-With no set up required, it plays much differently than all the others sets on site.
-Psychic is Alakazam's most powerful move, which can be used to revenge kill things like Gengar, Conkeldurr, Terrakion and more.
-Focus Blast is useful for hitting steel types that resist Alakazam's STAB move like Ferrothorn which is 2HKO'd by Focus Blast
-Shadow Ball makes for perfect coverage with Psychic and Focus Blast. Shadow Ball can be used to put a dent in walls like Jellicent, or revenge kills pokes like Starmie.
-Hidden Power Ice is useful for netting 1HKO's on all the dragons commonly seen in OU barring Hydreigon and Dragonite at full hp.
-Alakazam is the opposite of bulky, so it shouldn't really be switching into many attacks.
-Alakazam is faster and boast higher special attack than it's counterpart, Reuniculus, in exchange for having very little bulk.

[Additional Comments]
-Evs are used for maximizing Alakazam's speed, while maxing it's already large special attack.
-this set can act as a status absorber, as Toxic and Will-O-Wisp will not be doing damage to Alakazam, due to its ability.
-HP Fire can be used instead of HP Ice if you want to destroy things like Scizor.
-Specially defensive Jirachi is the main counter to this set, since it doesn't take super effective damage from any of the moves on this set.
-Energy Ball could be used, but it is vastly inferior to all of the previously mentioned moves.
-Encore can be used, but this move is more useful on a Substitute or a Calm Mind set.
-Hazards are always good, as they give Alakazam an easier time of sweeping/revenge killing.
-Metagross and Bronzong wall this set
-Powerful Fire types such as Heatran, are useful for taking out Alakazam's main counter. Additionally, Heatran can set up Stealth Rock, which aids in Alakazam's sweep.
-Alakazam has access to Recover, but this move is virtually useless because of it's low bulk.
-Alakazam can run a Dual Screening set, but it is largely outclassed by Latios, although Alakazam has higher speed.

Note*-Does anyone have an idea for a better name? I feel like the name I listed is kind of mediocre.
 

AccidentalGreed

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But I already slashed Focus Sash on the OU analysis.

Okay, but speaking of which, the current analysis (in comparison to its UU counterpart) has me thinking: perhaps Alakazam should have only one set that compiles most of its usable options in the fourth slot and their mentions in AC. Hidden Power Ice, IMO, has more utility with Focus Sash due to the popularity of certain threats in the metagame. Legitimate set, but too similar to the one on-site (which, admittedly, needs touching up on because even Calm Mind has its own set).
 
If you're gonna slash HP Ice, I'd slash HP Fire as well, although imo this set still seems a bit too similar to the one currently onsite
 
Directed @ Accidental Greed: I've thought about the same thing for a while too but all of the sets play way too differently, so fitting them all one set doesn't seem correct.

Directed @ Omicron: Your right, I should slash HP Fire. For your second point, you are correct, this set is very similar to all of the sets currently onsite(move wise). Although the change in moves are very subtle, they all play differently. The Sub 3 Attack set is used for using Alakazama's ability to force switches, and then setting up a sub and attacking the incoming pokemon with one of its three perfect coverage moves. The Calm Mind set is an effective late game sweeper. The set I have posted, is a lot more versatile(thats what I'd like to believe anyways). It is an effective revenge killer, and a powerful late game sweeper.
 
TBH alakazam really only needs one set, which is what happened when I was writing it up for UU. There were 3 sets at first but they're all actually pretty easily merged into one with a bit of slashing since zam will pretty much always be running Psychic / Focus Blast / Shadow Ball. There's just a ton of stuff to run in the fourth slot, same thing with items. To reiterate my point, I don't think this needs to go onsite. At the most probably just an increased mention of focus sash in AC.
 
I guess that could end up working, but I feel that each set plays so differently, that they need their own sets. I'll just wait for QC to give me an official response.
 

New World Order

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IMO Modest>Timid as the Nature. Without a Life Orb, Alakazam loses significant power, that 30% power boost is enough to score many extra KOs. Furthermore, Alakazam's main job with this set is to take a hit and OHKO in return. It would absolutely suck if you left your opponent with 2 HP left or something because you weren't Modest wouldn't it? This set doesn't really need the Speed all that much, because more often than not, you'll be using Alakazam to take on a Pokemon at +1 Speed, such as Dragonite, or with a priority move, such as Scizor.
 
This set is pretty redundant. It plays similarly to the on-site set. Focus Sash is already slashed on the set and Alakazam can opt not to use a Substitute with Focus Sash.

I think an Additional Comments mention will be enough.
 
This set is pretty redundant. It plays similarly to the on-site set. Focus Sash is already slashed on the set and Alakazam can opt not to use a Substitute with Focus Sash.

I think an Additional Comments mention will be enough.
Sigh, I'll say this one more time. Although all Alakazam sets run the same 3 moves, that doesn't mean they all play the same. I've answered this question in a response already, so just scroll up, or actually test this set.
 
This set isn't redundant because it doesn't play anything like the Substitute + 3 Attacks or Calm Mind sets, and it doesn't fall under either because it lacks either of the moves that define said sets (Sub and CM). That said, the onsite sets need some retooling because literally the only difference between them is Sub and CM. This set plays very differently from either one and it has a different role to fill, thus it probably deserves its own set.
 
This set isn't redundant because it doesn't play anything like the Substitute + 3 Attacks or Calm Mind sets, and it doesn't fall under either because it lacks either of the moves that define said sets (Sub and CM). That said, the onsite sets need some retooling because literally the only difference between them is Sub and CM. This set plays very differently from either one and it has a different role to fill, thus it probably deserves its own set.
THANK YOU
 
Sigh, ill say this one more time. That's true about every Alakazam set, but they all play very differently.
 

PK Gaming

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Hmm

I agree with the OP and the others, this moveset does play differently from the other sets onsite and it deserves a spot on the analysis. However, I'm not quite sure what to do with the current Sub and its Focus Sash slash. Although, I think we'll end up removing all mentions of Focus Sash on the first set.

This isn't a bad set, and it gets my approval. (Though without the HP fire slash, its such a crutch AND it drops Alakazam's speed by one.) and try not to make blanket statements like this:

This set seems to be the most popular set
-This is likely Alakazam's most competitively viable set.
They're unnecessarily.

QC APPROVED (1/3)
 

AccidentalGreed

Sweet and bitter as chocolate.
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Removal of Focus Sash in the first set's fine with me. But wouldn't we have to implement this on Alakazam's other analyses?
 
Removal of Focus Sash in the first set's fine with me. But wouldn't we have to implement this on Alakazam's other analyses?
Yeah, but all the sets play differently so i dont see why not.
Directed @ PK Gaming- I only used those statements to prove a point, but I'll refrain from using then next time.
 
PK I'd rather keep the HP Fire slash, because no other Pokemon besides Dugtrio shares the same speed tier in OU (at least, that is used in OU), and Dugtrio beats Alaka anyway with Arena Trap / Sucker Punch since it also usually holds a Focus Sash. The one point difference is negligible, as Choice Scarf users will outspeed it anyway, that's the point of Focus Sash...
 
I'll see what the rest of QC feels about that HP Fire tag. Off topic, does anyone feel like the name sucks, or is that just me.
 

PK Gaming

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Feel free to call it "All-out Attacker" or "Focus Sash"

@ Omicron HP Fire accomplishes next to nothing. Ferrothorn is still beaten by Focus Blast, and Forretress has sturdy so its 2HKOed anyway. IMO its a crutch for players who hate Focus Blast' terrible accuracy, but its useless. HP Ice is actually useful for getting the OHKO on some common quad ice weak pokemon (Dragonite, Landorus, Gliscor etc) which Psychic cannot do.
 
HP Fire is useful for taking out Scizor @ full hp, which lets u leave your sash intact. Other than that, it's not great.
 
IMO Modest>Timid as the Nature. Without a Life Orb, Alakazam loses significant power, that 30% power boost is enough to score many extra KOs. Furthermore, Alakazam's main job with this set is to take a hit and OHKO in return. It would absolutely suck if you left your opponent with 2 HP left or something because you weren't Modest wouldn't it? This set doesn't really need the Speed all that much, because more often than not, you'll be using Alakazam to take on a Pokemon at +1 Speed, such as Dragonite, or with a priority move, such as Scizor.
After testing out your theory, I found that the loss in speed wasn't worth the added power. Although i grabbed a couple of extra ko's, being outspeed by Latios/Latias and Starmie proved to be too much of an annoyance.
 

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