dragonuser
The only thing I look up to is the sky
[Pros]
<ul>
<li>It has an incredible ability in Aerilate.</li>
<li>It has access to both priority and a boosting move in Swords Dance.</li>
<li>It is fast enough that it isn't only reliant on its priority.</li>
<li>It has extremely high base stats in relevant areas, making it a very powerful sweeper.</li>
</ul>
[Cons]
<ul>
<li>It's weak to Stealth Rock, seriously hurting its longevity.</li>
<li>Talonflame is always an excellent check, due to its ability Gale Wings.</li>
<li>It has somewhat limited offensive coverage.</li>
</ul>
[Set Recommendations]
<p>name: Physical Sweeper<br />
move 1: Swords Dance<br />
move 2: Quick Attack<br />
move 3: Earthquake<br />
move 4: Return<br />
ability: Mold Breaker<br />
item: Pinsirite<br />
evs: 252 Atk / 4 Def / 252 Spe<br />
nature: Adamant (+Atk, -SpA) / Jolly Nature (+Spe, -SpA)</p>
<p>Pinsir received a wonderful gift this generation in the form of its Mega Evolution. Mega Pinsir has access to Aerilate, Swords Dance, base 155 Attack, and priority, all of which combine to make a very fearsome physical sweeper. Swords Dance is the obligatory boosting move of this set, pushing Mega Pinsir's already outrageous attack to new levels. Quick Attack is the most used move of this set, receiving the Aerilate boost and type change, while also helping offset Pinsir's average Speed against faster Pokemon. Earthquake gives Pinsir valuable coverage, primarily hitting Aegislash who would otherwise counter it.</p>
<p>Close Combat and Stone Edge are also viable moves, but it's important to note that without Earthquake, Pinsir loses a lot of coverage and without Return, Pinsir is left without a powerful STAB attack. A Jolly nature allows Mega Pinsir to make the best use out of its naturally high base Speed, but at the cost of power. For teammates, Pinsir really appreciates physically defensive Rotom-W as its partner, as it is able to reliably counter both Talonflame and Skarmory. Similarly, specially defensive Tyranitar serves as an excellent partner for its ability to soundly wall both. Rapid Spinners or Defog users such as Starmie and Scizor also partner particularly well with Pinsir, given its large Stealth Rock weakness.</p>
[Checks and Counters]
<p>Pinsir's longevity is drastically cut down by Stealth Rock. Being 2x weak before Mega Evolving and 4x weak after, switching into Stealth Rock severely hampers Pinsir's sweeping capabilities. Skarmory walls Mega Pinsir, due to its resistances to Mega Pinsir's STABs and naturally high physical bulk. Mega Pinsir also needs to worry about bulky Electric-type Pokemon, particularly Zapdos, as it resists Mega Pinsir's Flying-type STAB and is immune to Earthquake. Bronzong and Rotom-W both reliably check Mega Pinsir, but ironically fall victim to normal Pinsir due to its ability Mold Breaker. Other priority users such as Scizor and Mamoswine can be rather deadly to an unboosted Pinsir, while faster priority users such as Weavile and Talonflame always hold the capability of revenging it.</p>
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