Overview
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Leavanny has access to Sticky Web, which is enough to warrant its use. Its decent Speed stat allows it to set up Sticky Web before other Pokemon can move, so it is less reliant on Focus Sash than other Sticky Web users. It also has Magic Coat to block Taunt, which makes it easier for it to set up Sticky Web. Leavanny's movepool and STAB combination allow it to beat most spinners and Stealth Rock users, giving it better matchups than its Sticky Web brethren. However, Leavanny faces competition from Kricketune, which is more useful after setting Sticky Web due to its access to moves such as Taunt, Endeavor, and Knock Off. Leavanny can also find itself dead weight against bulkier teams due to its lack of utility moves, which other Sticky Web users have, and its helplessness against almost every Defog user in the tier.
Sticky Web
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name: Sticky Web
move 1: Sticky Web
move 2: Magic Coat
move 3: Leaf Storm
move 4: X-Scissor
ability: Swarm
item: Focus Sash
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Naive
Moves
========
Sticky Web gives Leavanny its niche, slowing down grounded opponents and greatly affecting offensive Pokemon which rely on their high speed. Magic Coat blocks Taunt and reflects back entry hazards, almost always guaranteeing that Sticky Web is set up with correct prediction, as well as troubling hazard setters, most notably Qwilfish without Poison Jab. Leaf Storm OHKOes Kabutops, Seismitoad, Rhydon, and Sandslash, granting Leavanny a comfortable matchup against most hazard leads and Rapid Spin users. Leaf Storm is used because it hits most leads, such as Crustle, Steelix, Qwilfish, Rhydon, and Sandslash, harder than Leaf Blade, and is slightly stronger against targets with equal defenses. X-Scissor is used to beat Mesprit and Uxie, which are common Stealth Rock users, and OHKO Cryogonal and Ditto with the aid of Swarm.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment allows Leavanny to outrun as many opponents as possible, allowing it to set up Sticky Web on them without relying on Focus Sash. Focus Sash is used to survive a hit and lay down Sticky Web if the opponent is faster, as well as win the matchup against Cryogonal. Maximum Special Attack investment allows Leavanny to deal as much damage as it can with Leaf Storm. A Naive nature is used over Hasty to allow Leavanny to take priority attacks better while not weakening X-Scissor, and allowing Leavanny to always survive three hits from Jolly Crustle's Rock Blast. It is not necessary to invest into Attack as X-Scissor already 2HKOes Mesprit, and Swarm provides a sufficient damage boost, most notably against Cryogonal and Ditto.
Usage Tips
========
If the opponent does not have Xatu or a hazard remover, Leavanny can lead and set up Sticky Web with ease. Leavanny's high Speed allows it to make use of the opponent's slower Pokemon to set up Web even without its Sash intact; this means Leavanny is less pressured to be used as a lead. If Leavanny faces a faster Taunt user or an entry hazard user, Magic Coat can be used to waste their turns, although it must be used with care as Leavanny's frailty and typing do not leave much room for error. Usually, setting Sticky Web is all Leavanny can do in a match, so don't be afraid to let it be KOed if it no longer serves further use.
If one does not wish for Ditto to lay down Sticky Web against Leavanny, one can opt for Steel Wing so as to leave Ditto without any option to hurt Leavanny with, allowing Leavanny to freely spam Magic Coat to scout Ditto's attack. 104 Atk EVs allow Leavanny to OHKO offensive Cryogonal with Steel Wing, but cut into Leaf Storm's power. Toxic can be used to improve Leavanny's utility against bulkier teams, but Toxic can worsen its matchups against Rapid Spin users and hazard leads; other Sticky Web users such as Kricketune, Masquerain, and Ariados should be considered over Leavanny if one is concerned about utility for their Sticky Web user.
Team Options
========
Leavanny's Sticky Web support greatly benefits powerful Pokemon that have trouble outspeeding their opponents, such as Sawk, Samurott, Zangoose, Magmortar, and Jynx. Leavanny cannot do much to Defog users at all, so a teammate with Defiant, such as Pawniard and Primeape, can be used to discourage opponents from using Defog; Competitive Meowstic-F makes for an interesting teammate as it can threaten all Defog users in the tier with +2 Thunderbolt. While Leavanny can fend off most Rapid Spinners on its own, spinblockers are always advisable as backup, especially if its teammates cannot effectively deal with them; Mismagius, Rotom, and Golurk are great choices for spinblockers, as they can effectively keep up the offensive pressure that Sticky Web teams need to succeed.
Xatu is a great thorn in Leavanny's side, so a Pursuit user such as Liepard, Sneasel, Bouffalant, or Pawniard is greatly appreciated to weaken or KO Xatu and prevent it from continuously stopping Leavanny. Pokemon that can deal with speedy Sticky Web-immune threats, such as Archeops, Mismagius, Vivillon, and Mesprit, that trouble Sticky Web teams make for great teammates; Pokemon with super effective STAB moves, such as Sneasel and Rotom; powerful priority users, such as Samurott and Pawniard; or bulky attackers, such as Bouffalant and Rhydon, can help fend off those airborne attackers.
Other Options
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Sticky Web is really Leavanny's only niche, as everything else it would want to try leaves it greatly outclassed by other Pokemon. Any moves that are incompatible with Sticky Web, such as Knock Off and Heal Bell, are not worth using, as using them would remove Leavanny's niche. Leavanny has Baton Pass and good boosting moves in Swords Dance and Agility, but its poor typing and average bulk means that the job is better left to more effective Pokemon such as Leafeon or Ninjask. Attempting Baton Pass alongside Sticky Web is also unrecommended, as each moveslot is crucial for Leavanny to maintain its advantage over various leads and thus its niche over other Sticky Web users. Leavanny could go the physical route, using Leaf Blade as its Grass-type STAB move to avoid Leaf Storm's Special Attack drop, but Leaf Storm is much more effective against nearly all of its targets and the Special Attack drop hardly affects Leavanny in the long run at all, making Leaf Blade an inferior option most of the time.
Checks & Counters
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**Xatu**: Xatu is the best counter to Leavanny, as it not only prevents Leavanny from laying down Sticky Web on its side simply by switching in, but also reflects Sticky Web back onto Leavanny's side, nullifying the Speed advantage Leavanny's team would gain even if Leavanny manages to set up Sticky Web in the future. Offensive Xatu, however, can risk being 2HKOed by Leaf Storm followed by Swarm X-Scissor.
**Defog users**: Leavanny can do next to nothing against Defoggers, as Magic Coat does not prevent their hazard-removing effect. Swanna, Mantine, Pelipper, Togetic, and Vullaby can Defog against Leavanny with great ease. What the Defog users have to worry about are the Defiant or Competitive Pokemon that usually accompany Leavanny, as they can become notable threats if given a free +2 boost on the switch.
**Rapid Spinners**: While Leavanny is pretty equipped to deter the more common spinners in Cryogonal, Kabutops, and Sandslash from Rapid Spinning in its face, Torkoal can pretty much invalidate Leavanny's presence due to its resistance to Leavanny's STAB moves, and even bypass Focus Sash with Lava Plume's chance to burn. There is also the fact that Leavanny very rarely manages to outlast the Rapid Spinners, so all they have to do is wait until Leavanny is no longer capable of setting up Sticky Web before they use Rapid Spin.
**Pokemon that benefit from Sticky Web**: Defiant Pokemon such as Pawniard and Primeape gain a tremendous boost to their power, while Contrary Malamar gets its Speed boosted instead, allowing it to outrun a majority of Sticky Web sweepers. However, Malamar has to be wary of Leavanny's X-Scissor.
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Leavanny has access to Sticky Web, which is enough to warrant its use. Its decent Speed stat allows it to set up Sticky Web before other Pokemon can move, so it is less reliant on Focus Sash than other Sticky Web users. It also has Magic Coat to block Taunt, which makes it easier for it to set up Sticky Web. Leavanny's movepool and STAB combination allow it to beat most spinners and Stealth Rock users, giving it better matchups than its Sticky Web brethren. However, Leavanny faces competition from Kricketune, which is more useful after setting Sticky Web due to its access to moves such as Taunt, Endeavor, and Knock Off. Leavanny can also find itself dead weight against bulkier teams due to its lack of utility moves, which other Sticky Web users have, and its helplessness against almost every Defog user in the tier.
Sticky Web
########
name: Sticky Web
move 1: Sticky Web
move 2: Magic Coat
move 3: Leaf Storm
move 4: X-Scissor
ability: Swarm
item: Focus Sash
evs: 4 Atk / 252 SpA / 252 Spe
nature: Naive
Moves
========
Sticky Web gives Leavanny its niche, slowing down grounded opponents and greatly affecting offensive Pokemon which rely on their high speed. Magic Coat blocks Taunt and reflects back entry hazards, almost always guaranteeing that Sticky Web is set up with correct prediction, as well as troubling hazard setters, most notably Qwilfish without Poison Jab. Leaf Storm OHKOes Kabutops, Seismitoad, Rhydon, and Sandslash, granting Leavanny a comfortable matchup against most hazard leads and Rapid Spin users. Leaf Storm is used because it hits most leads, such as Crustle, Steelix, Qwilfish, Rhydon, and Sandslash, harder than Leaf Blade, and is slightly stronger against targets with equal defenses. X-Scissor is used to beat Mesprit and Uxie, which are common Stealth Rock users, and OHKO Cryogonal and Ditto with the aid of Swarm.
Set Details
========
Maximum Speed investment allows Leavanny to outrun as many opponents as possible, allowing it to set up Sticky Web on them without relying on Focus Sash. Focus Sash is used to survive a hit and lay down Sticky Web if the opponent is faster, as well as win the matchup against Cryogonal. Maximum Special Attack investment allows Leavanny to deal as much damage as it can with Leaf Storm. A Naive nature is used over Hasty to allow Leavanny to take priority attacks better while not weakening X-Scissor, and allowing Leavanny to always survive three hits from Jolly Crustle's Rock Blast. It is not necessary to invest into Attack as X-Scissor already 2HKOes Mesprit, and Swarm provides a sufficient damage boost, most notably against Cryogonal and Ditto.
Usage Tips
========
If the opponent does not have Xatu or a hazard remover, Leavanny can lead and set up Sticky Web with ease. Leavanny's high Speed allows it to make use of the opponent's slower Pokemon to set up Web even without its Sash intact; this means Leavanny is less pressured to be used as a lead. If Leavanny faces a faster Taunt user or an entry hazard user, Magic Coat can be used to waste their turns, although it must be used with care as Leavanny's frailty and typing do not leave much room for error. Usually, setting Sticky Web is all Leavanny can do in a match, so don't be afraid to let it be KOed if it no longer serves further use.
If one does not wish for Ditto to lay down Sticky Web against Leavanny, one can opt for Steel Wing so as to leave Ditto without any option to hurt Leavanny with, allowing Leavanny to freely spam Magic Coat to scout Ditto's attack. 104 Atk EVs allow Leavanny to OHKO offensive Cryogonal with Steel Wing, but cut into Leaf Storm's power. Toxic can be used to improve Leavanny's utility against bulkier teams, but Toxic can worsen its matchups against Rapid Spin users and hazard leads; other Sticky Web users such as Kricketune, Masquerain, and Ariados should be considered over Leavanny if one is concerned about utility for their Sticky Web user.
Team Options
========
Leavanny's Sticky Web support greatly benefits powerful Pokemon that have trouble outspeeding their opponents, such as Sawk, Samurott, Zangoose, Magmortar, and Jynx. Leavanny cannot do much to Defog users at all, so a teammate with Defiant, such as Pawniard and Primeape, can be used to discourage opponents from using Defog; Competitive Meowstic-F makes for an interesting teammate as it can threaten all Defog users in the tier with +2 Thunderbolt. While Leavanny can fend off most Rapid Spinners on its own, spinblockers are always advisable as backup, especially if its teammates cannot effectively deal with them; Mismagius, Rotom, and Golurk are great choices for spinblockers, as they can effectively keep up the offensive pressure that Sticky Web teams need to succeed.
Xatu is a great thorn in Leavanny's side, so a Pursuit user such as Liepard, Sneasel, Bouffalant, or Pawniard is greatly appreciated to weaken or KO Xatu and prevent it from continuously stopping Leavanny. Pokemon that can deal with speedy Sticky Web-immune threats, such as Archeops, Mismagius, Vivillon, and Mesprit, that trouble Sticky Web teams make for great teammates; Pokemon with super effective STAB moves, such as Sneasel and Rotom; powerful priority users, such as Samurott and Pawniard; or bulky attackers, such as Bouffalant and Rhydon, can help fend off those airborne attackers.
Other Options
########
Sticky Web is really Leavanny's only niche, as everything else it would want to try leaves it greatly outclassed by other Pokemon. Any moves that are incompatible with Sticky Web, such as Knock Off and Heal Bell, are not worth using, as using them would remove Leavanny's niche. Leavanny has Baton Pass and good boosting moves in Swords Dance and Agility, but its poor typing and average bulk means that the job is better left to more effective Pokemon such as Leafeon or Ninjask. Attempting Baton Pass alongside Sticky Web is also unrecommended, as each moveslot is crucial for Leavanny to maintain its advantage over various leads and thus its niche over other Sticky Web users. Leavanny could go the physical route, using Leaf Blade as its Grass-type STAB move to avoid Leaf Storm's Special Attack drop, but Leaf Storm is much more effective against nearly all of its targets and the Special Attack drop hardly affects Leavanny in the long run at all, making Leaf Blade an inferior option most of the time.
Checks & Counters
########
**Xatu**: Xatu is the best counter to Leavanny, as it not only prevents Leavanny from laying down Sticky Web on its side simply by switching in, but also reflects Sticky Web back onto Leavanny's side, nullifying the Speed advantage Leavanny's team would gain even if Leavanny manages to set up Sticky Web in the future. Offensive Xatu, however, can risk being 2HKOed by Leaf Storm followed by Swarm X-Scissor.
**Defog users**: Leavanny can do next to nothing against Defoggers, as Magic Coat does not prevent their hazard-removing effect. Swanna, Mantine, Pelipper, Togetic, and Vullaby can Defog against Leavanny with great ease. What the Defog users have to worry about are the Defiant or Competitive Pokemon that usually accompany Leavanny, as they can become notable threats if given a free +2 boost on the switch.
**Rapid Spinners**: While Leavanny is pretty equipped to deter the more common spinners in Cryogonal, Kabutops, and Sandslash from Rapid Spinning in its face, Torkoal can pretty much invalidate Leavanny's presence due to its resistance to Leavanny's STAB moves, and even bypass Focus Sash with Lava Plume's chance to burn. There is also the fact that Leavanny very rarely manages to outlast the Rapid Spinners, so all they have to do is wait until Leavanny is no longer capable of setting up Sticky Web before they use Rapid Spin.
**Pokemon that benefit from Sticky Web**: Defiant Pokemon such as Pawniard and Primeape gain a tremendous boost to their power, while Contrary Malamar gets its Speed boosted instead, allowing it to outrun a majority of Sticky Web sweepers. However, Malamar has to be wary of Leavanny's X-Scissor.
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