[OVERVIEW]
name: Offensive Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Rock Slide / Waterfall
item: Eviolite
ability: Weak Armor
nature: Careful
evs: 116 HP / 36 Atk / 36 Def / 156 SpD / 156 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
Set Details
========
Usage Tips
========
Team Options
========
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Magnemite and Chinchou take very little damage from Kabuto and can OHKO it with Thunderbolt.
**Fighting-types**: Mienfoo, Timburr and Scraggy can switch in on Kabuto without taking much damage from it, and, in the case of Timburr and Scraggy, start setting up on Kabuto. Mienfoo can also Taunt Kabuto to prevent it setting up Stealth Rock
**Grass-types**: Foongus, Cottonee, Lileep, Ferroseed and Pumpkaboo all wall Kabuto and KO it with their Grass-type STABS. But Pumpkaboo can be severely damaged with Knock Off.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types resist Rock Slide and most of them can threaten Kabuto, such as Magnemite, Alolan Diglett, and Pawniard. Pawniard is particularly effective at this, as it resists Knock Off as well.
- Access to both Rapid Spin and Stealth Rock allows it to fulfill two major roles and compress roles in a team.
- Useful Water-typing lets it beat the majority of common leads.
- Good Attack and Defense.
- Useful movepool.
- Weak Armor lets Kabuto outspeed Pokemon such as Rufflet and Doduo.
- Useful resistances to common types such as Fire, Poison and Flying.
- Decent Flying-type check, living a Jump Kick from Doduo, a Superpower from Rowlet and two Knock Offs from Vullaby, OHKOing the former two and 2HKOing the latter one with Rock Slide.
- Beats common leads such as Onix and Dwebble.
- Beats Drilbur with Waterfall.
- Beats Life Orb Diglett with Waterfall.
- Low special bulk makes it lose to many mixed and special attackers such as Staryu, Foongus and Spritzee.
- Common type weaknesses such as Fighting, Electric and Grass.
- Kabuto faces competition from other rapid spinners such as Staryu and Drilbur, and other Stealth Rock setters such as Dwebble and Onix, but distinguishes itself by being one of the only two Pokemon able to effectively do both, the other being Drilbur.
name: Offensive Support
move 1: Rapid Spin
move 2: Stealth Rock
move 3: Knock Off
move 4: Rock Slide / Waterfall
item: Eviolite
ability: Weak Armor
nature: Careful
evs: 116 HP / 36 Atk / 36 Def / 156 SpD / 156 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
Moves
========
- Rapid Spin removes hazards and breaks Sturdy on Pokemon such as Dwebble and Onix, allowing Kabuto to KO next turn with Waterfall.
- Kabuto is a good setter of Stealth Rock thanks to its good bulk and ability to beat most other common leads, and in conjunction with Rapid Spin Stealth Rock allows for good role compression.
- Knock Off allows Kabuto to knock off Eviolites and cripple Pokemon such as defensive Vullaby, bulky Mienfoo and Spritzee, remove Berry Juice from Sturdy leads such as Onix and Dwebble, remove Choice Scarves from common Scarf Pokemon and severely damage spinblockers.
- Rock Slide is a secondary STAB that hits Flying-types super effectively and makes Kabuto a good Flying-type check, and its good flinch chance gives Weak Armor sets a chance to flinch slower checks.
- Waterfall allows Kabuto to hit Ground-types harder than it would with Rock Slide and 2HKO Mudbray.
Set Details
========
- EVs allow Kabuto to outspeed 19 Speed Choice Scarf users including Mienfoo, Pawniard, Doduo and Gastly after a Weak Armor boost, with the remaining EVs put into bulk and Attack. A spread with less Speed can be used to give Kabuto more bulk and power, although Kabuto is then vulnerable to fast Choice Scarf users.
- Eviolite makes Kabuto bulky enough to take most physical hits, including a Superpower from Ruffled after Stealth Rock damage and nearly always a Knock Off followed by Iron Head from Pawniard.
- Weak Armor lets Kabuto double its Speed after taking a physical hit, putting its physical bulk to good use and allowing it to KO revenge killers such as Abra and Scarf Chinchou.
Usage Tips
========
- If the opponent has a spinblocker, make use of Knock Off on predicted switches.
- Kabuto can be used as a lead, but should not be sent out as a lead if the opponent has a Taunt user.
- Make use of Kabuto's bulk and resistances by switching in on resisted physical hits.
- Kabuto can be used as a Flying-type check to Vullaby, Rufflet and Doduo.
- If your opponent has a Geodude, Onix or Dwebble, lead with Kabuto as it can easily defeat these common leads with Knock Off and Waterfall.
- Using Knock Off on predicted switches can remove important items and potentially a cripple a Pokemon.
- Switching in on Rapid Spin allows Weak Armor Kabuto to double its speed while taking minimal damage.
- Kabuto has limited longevity due to the fact that it takes high damage from special attacks, and as Weak Armor triggers takes more and more from physical attacks. Kabuto should be used as a pivot and switched in and out until its job of hazard control is done.
Team Options
========
- Teams that need role compression appreciate Kabuto, as it functions as a Flying-type check, a hazard setter and a hazard remover.
- Fire-types such as Ponyta, Larvesta and Magby appreciate Rapid Spin and can switch in on Grass-type moves. Flame Body users such as Larvesta and Ponyta also discourage Mienfoo.
- Flying-types such as Vullaby and Rufflet appreciate Rapid Spin and can switch in on Ground- and Grass-type moves.
- Grass-types can switch in on Ground- and Grass-type moves aimed at Kabuto. Foongus and Cottonee are especially useful, as they resist Fighting-type moves as well. Foongus can also beat most Grass-types with Sludge Bomb. In return, Kabuto can switch in on Poison-, Fire- and Flying-type moves for Grass-types.
- Spinblockers and Defog deterrents such as Pumpkaboo-Super and Pawniard, respectively can prevent opponent's from removing Stealth Rock if Kabuto runs it. Pumpkaboo-Super can also switch in on Ground-type moves for Kabuto while Kabuto switches in on Flying-, Fire- and Poison-type moves aimed at Pumpkaboo.
- Fast pivots such as Mienfoo can help to bring Weak Armor Kabuto in against physical attackers, giving it Speed boosts.
- Pokemon such as Carvanha and Aipom that appreciate Stealth Rock appreciate Kabuto's reliable Stealth Rock setting.
[STRATEGY COMMENTS]
Other Options
=============
- A Swift Swim set can be used on rain teams, but the lack of any Drizzle Pokemon in LC makes this unviable.
- Aqua Jet allows Kabuto to beat Onix, Dwebble and Focus Sash Diglett more easily.
- Waterium Z allows Kabuto to significantly damage many switchins with Hydro Vortex, although Eviolite's bulk is usually more useful.
- Rockium Z allows Kabuto to OHKO Vullaby after Stealth Rock damage, but Eviolite and Waterium Z are usually more useful, Eviolite due to the bulk it provides, allowing Kabuto to live important hits from Pokemon such as Doduo and Rufflet and Waterium Z due to its ability to hit most switchins hard.
- Hone Claws lets Kabuto increase its Attack and make its Rock Slides more accurate, although Kabuto does not have enough space to run Rapid Spin, Hone Claws, two attacks and still be very effective.
Checks and Counters
===================
**Electric-types**: Magnemite and Chinchou take very little damage from Kabuto and can OHKO it with Thunderbolt.
**Fighting-types**: Mienfoo, Timburr and Scraggy can switch in on Kabuto without taking much damage from it, and, in the case of Timburr and Scraggy, start setting up on Kabuto. Mienfoo can also Taunt Kabuto to prevent it setting up Stealth Rock
**Grass-types**: Foongus, Cottonee, Lileep, Ferroseed and Pumpkaboo all wall Kabuto and KO it with their Grass-type STABS. But Pumpkaboo can be severely damaged with Knock Off.
**Steel-types**: Steel-types resist Rock Slide and most of them can threaten Kabuto, such as Magnemite, Alolan Diglett, and Pawniard. Pawniard is particularly effective at this, as it resists Knock Off as well.
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