Joim
Pixels matter
Liepard
[SET]
name: Swagger
move 1: Swagger
move 2: Thunder Wave / Encore
move 3: Foul Play
move 4: Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 80 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD / 168 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>At first sight, if you find this Liepard on a rival team, you might think this is a most gimmicky and ineffective set. After a couple of turns, however, when you see what it can do to your poor unprepared team, you'll start feeling true fear and pain. You cannot fathom how seriously dangerous this set —Liepard's best— is until you've been beaten by it or until you've conquered with it. Foul Play severely damages numerous physical attackers, such as Zangoose, Swellow, and Ursaring, and Liepard can deal with many NU threats such as Banette, Misdreavus, Haunter, Sneasel, Hypno, and itself, checking fairly well Psychic-types like Kadabra and Musharna as long as it can avoid Signal Beam. Thanks to Prankster, Liepard boasts priority Thunder Wave, Swagger and Substitute, allowing it to play mind games and seriously cripple the opposing team with relative ease. These advantages improve Liepard's survivability immensely. Special attackers will generally need either boosted or super effective attacks such as Focus Blast to OHKO it, like Gardevoir and Ampharos, but others are able to easily dispatch it with their powerful attacks, such as Life Orb Samurott and Rotom-Fan. At the very least, this set will trouble sweepers and spread paralysis. At its best, with some skill and luck it will show its true might, sweeping the entirety of unsuspecting teams. It's the only Neverused Dark-type other than Sneasel that outspeeds Haunter as well as other base 90s, such as Zangoose. SubDisable or Sucker Punch Haunter is a force to be reckoned with in NU; thus outspeeding and 2HKOing is important in order to deal with it before it uses Destiny Bond, finishing your Prankster party too early. Whilst weak to them, Liepard might not only survive against but deal with Gurdurr and other Fighting-types, tanking Mach Punch from behind a Substitute and proceeding either to defeat them with Foul Play or Substitute stall and wait for confusion damage, should you predict a switch in and use Swagger. Liepard's Substitute is faster than Mach Punch. You can choose to use Encore instead of Thunder Wave to facilitate Substitute and Swagger setting, making the opponent be stuck in Substitute or a status move, granting you free turns.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The suggested EV spread gives a Leftovers number and lets Liepard create five Substitutes from full health, granting even more survivability. It is not recommended to change it, though a bulkier, albeit slower, spread with a Calm nature is viable—however, remember to cover Haunter. Encoring Pokemon into non-damaging moves such as Swords Dance means Liepard can safely set up and potentially KO with Foul Play; at the very least, you have a free turn to either renew your Substitute or Swagger the next switch-in. There aren't many other options for this moveset, with Substitute being necessary for a longer survival. If not using Thunder Wave, Encore is the best option.</p>
<p>Both Gurdurr and Golurk are good options to partner with Liepard, as they can take out the main threats that would otherwise plague Liepard. Gardevoir is a big threat to Liepard, OHKOing with Focus Blast. Calm Mind Gardevoir will 2HKO with Signal Beam as well. Thus it's important not to switch into it unless you know it's Choice-locked into Psychic; Liepard is generally a good check at best. If Liepard is using Encore, some Gardevoir variants might be Encored into Substitute, allowing for free turns. Once you manage to switch in and set up against Gardevoir, Foul Play will hit for 67-76% on 4 HP Gardevoir, so with hazard support it can be successfully defeated on the switch-in. Own Tempo Lickilicky is the other main counter to this set, ignoring confusion and gaining a free Attack boost from Swagger. It's best to paralyze it and switch to a Ghost- or Fighting-type that can successfully defeat it. It should be noted that, after Stealth Rock damage, both Duosion and Musharna will 2HKO this Liepard with Signal Beam too, so you should take care if you see these foes in Team Preview. Limber Liepard, whilst not as good, counters this set somewhat effectively thanks to its immunity to paralysis.</p>
Old Quality Control text:
[SET]
name: Swagger
move 1: Swagger
move 2: Thunder Wave / Encore
move 3: Foul Play
move 4: Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 80 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD / 168 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
<p>At first sight, if you find this Liepard on a rival team, you might think this is a most gimmicky and ineffective set. After a couple of turns, however, when you see what it can do to your poor unprepared team, you'll start feeling true fear and pain. You cannot fathom how seriously dangerous this set —Liepard's best— is until you've been beaten by it or until you've conquered with it. Foul Play severely damages numerous physical attackers, such as Zangoose, Swellow, and Ursaring, and Liepard can deal with many NU threats such as Banette, Misdreavus, Haunter, Sneasel, Hypno, and itself, checking fairly well Psychic-types like Kadabra and Musharna as long as it can avoid Signal Beam. Thanks to Prankster, Liepard boasts priority Thunder Wave, Swagger and Substitute, allowing it to play mind games and seriously cripple the opposing team with relative ease. These advantages improve Liepard's survivability immensely. Special attackers will generally need either boosted or super effective attacks such as Focus Blast to OHKO it, like Gardevoir and Ampharos, but others are able to easily dispatch it with their powerful attacks, such as Life Orb Samurott and Rotom-Fan. At the very least, this set will trouble sweepers and spread paralysis. At its best, with some skill and luck it will show its true might, sweeping the entirety of unsuspecting teams. It's the only Neverused Dark-type other than Sneasel that outspeeds Haunter as well as other base 90s, such as Zangoose. SubDisable or Sucker Punch Haunter is a force to be reckoned with in NU; thus outspeeding and 2HKOing is important in order to deal with it before it uses Destiny Bond, finishing your Prankster party too early. Whilst weak to them, Liepard might not only survive against but deal with Gurdurr and other Fighting-types, tanking Mach Punch from behind a Substitute and proceeding either to defeat them with Foul Play or Substitute stall and wait for confusion damage, should you predict a switch in and use Swagger. Liepard's Substitute is faster than Mach Punch. You can choose to use Encore instead of Thunder Wave to facilitate Substitute and Swagger setting, making the opponent be stuck in Substitute or a status move, granting you free turns.</p>
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
<p>The suggested EV spread gives a Leftovers number and lets Liepard create five Substitutes from full health, granting even more survivability. It is not recommended to change it, though a bulkier, albeit slower, spread with a Calm nature is viable—however, remember to cover Haunter. Encoring Pokemon into non-damaging moves such as Swords Dance means Liepard can safely set up and potentially KO with Foul Play; at the very least, you have a free turn to either renew your Substitute or Swagger the next switch-in. There aren't many other options for this moveset, with Substitute being necessary for a longer survival. If not using Thunder Wave, Encore is the best option.</p>
<p>Both Gurdurr and Golurk are good options to partner with Liepard, as they can take out the main threats that would otherwise plague Liepard. Gardevoir is a big threat to Liepard, OHKOing with Focus Blast. Calm Mind Gardevoir will 2HKO with Signal Beam as well. Thus it's important not to switch into it unless you know it's Choice-locked into Psychic; Liepard is generally a good check at best. If Liepard is using Encore, some Gardevoir variants might be Encored into Substitute, allowing for free turns. Once you manage to switch in and set up against Gardevoir, Foul Play will hit for 67-76% on 4 HP Gardevoir, so with hazard support it can be successfully defeated on the switch-in. Own Tempo Lickilicky is the other main counter to this set, ignoring confusion and gaining a free Attack boost from Swagger. It's best to paralyze it and switch to a Ghost- or Fighting-type that can successfully defeat it. It should be noted that, after Stealth Rock damage, both Duosion and Musharna will 2HKO this Liepard with Signal Beam too, so you should take care if you see these foes in Team Preview. Limber Liepard, whilst not as good, counters this set somewhat effectively thanks to its immunity to paralysis.</p>
Old Quality Control text:
[SET]
name: Swagger
move 1: Swagger
move 2: Thunder Wave / Encore
move 3: Foul Play
move 4: Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 80 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD / 168 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
name: Swagger
move 1: Swagger
move 2: Thunder Wave / Encore
move 3: Foul Play
move 4: Substitute
item: Leftovers
ability: Prankster
nature: Timid
evs: 80 HP / 8 Def / 252 SpD / 168 Spe
[SET COMMENTS]
- Looks gimmicky, but it's surprisingly effective and probably Liepard's best set. You cannot fathom how serious and dangerous this set is until you've been beaten by it.
- Foul Play damages severly all physical attackers and it can deal with many NU threats thanks to typing.
- With some skill and luck it might sweep entire teams. At the very least it'll give problems to the main sweepers and spread paralysis.
- Only NU dark type to outspeed Haunter with the suggested EV spread. SubDisable or Sucker Punch Haunter is to be reckoned, thus outspeeding and 2HKOing is very important to deal with him before he uses Destiny Bond in some variants.
- Thanks to priority Substitute, speed reduction and chance of not moving, great survivability.
- Can deal with Gurdurr and other fighting types, tanking Mach Punch and proceeding either to defeat him with Foul Play or substitute stalling waiting for confusion damage. Substitute is faster than mach punch.
- Might use Encore instead of Thunder Wave to facilitate Substitute and swagger setting. Encoring some Pokémon into moves such as Substitute, Calm Mind, Swords Dance, Bulk Up or other non damaging moves means Liepard can safely set up and deal enough Foul Plays to dismiss said Pokémon. At the very least you'll get a free turn to either renew your Substitute or throw a Swagger to the next switch-in.
- Offensive Gardevoir will OHKO with Focus Blast, should it not miss. Calm Mind Gardevoir will 2HKO with Signal Beam. Its thus important to not to switch into it unless you know it's going to use psychic. If Liepard is using Encore, some variants might be encored to Substitute. Once managed to switch in or set up against Gardevoir, Foul Play will hit for 67-76% on 4Hp Gardevoir. With hazard support she might be successfully defeated.
- Outspeeds Zangoose and other base 90s.
- Special attackers have little chance against him.
- Own Tempo Lickilicky is the main counter to this set. It's best to paralyse it and switch to a ghost / fighting type. Both Gurdurr and Golurk are good teammates.
- After rocks, both Duosion and Musharna 2HKO with Signal Beam. Take care.
[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]
- EV spread to maximise leftovers number and substitute stalling.
- Might use bulkier albeit slower spread and Calm for more bulk, thought it's not recommended if you need to cover Haunter.
- There's not many options for the moveset, substitute is necessary for a greater survival. Encore is the best option instead of using Thunder Wave.
- Might use more speed EVs on Timid nature to outspeed Raticate.
- Golurk is a good teammate as he can take incoming fighting attacks.
- Limber Liepard, whilst not as good, counters this set.
- Prone to ragequits.